(after checking the article title to make sure we're talking about "PC Games", not "PC Video Games")
Tom Disch's "Amnesia" was an amazing text-based game. You wake up, broke and stark naked, in a NYC hotel room. The rest of the game involves getting clothed and fed, avoiding the police (you're wanted for a murder you're pretty certain you didn't commit), and recovering the secret of your past. There were several possible outcomes. One involved Ol' Sparky (after you get extradited to Texas to stand trial for that murder). In another, you escape to a ranch in Australia and spend the rest of your life there, without ever solving the riddle of your past. I never did "win" the game, but I chewed up a lot of hours trying.
One of the more interesting aspects was that it wasn't "turn-based" -- if you didn't do anything, time would pass just the same.
I bought some real estate last year. I had to bring $16,000 to the closing. I had two options: have my (out of state) bank snail-mail me a 'bank check' or have them wire transfer the money to a local bank where my co-purchaser has an account. The fee to have a check drafted, printed and mailed to me was about $5. The fee to have the money wired to a local bank was three times that.
Wire transfer may be easy and fast, but it's not cheap, not yet anyway.
I was about to suggest "Outland" as another "James Bond in space" movie -- hey, it even has Sean Connery! Then I remembered that it was actually more like "High Noon in space."
Not only that, but it's possible to watch TV while doing something else -- cleaning, say, or even running on a treadmill*. When you're on the computer, you're tethered to the keyboard and your butt doesn't leave the chair, sometimes for hours at a stretch. When I was a gamer, I gained 15 lbs. I thank EA for ruining Dark Age of Camelot so thoroughly that I was able to give it up without any regrets.
*Who was the wit who said "An MMORPG is a treadmill that makes you fatter"?
Wait, what? The way I read that post, it says that "99% of Apache web sites are hosted on dedicated servers." It doesn't say anything about them being Windows.
> the government should be in the business of national defense a small police force to enforce the most basic of laws against theft, rape, murder, and other such crimes.
So in such a world, you would have no problem with me buying property right next to your home and putting a trash dump, an animal stockyard, or a nuclear reactor there? Yup, that's a real paradise.
> the government should be in the business of national defense a small police force to enforce the most basic of laws against theft, rape, murder, and other such crimes.
So in such a world, you would have no problem with me buying property right next to your home and putting a trash dump, an animal stockyard, or a nuclear reactor there? Yup, that's a real paradise.
Interesting. I had a 200GB Seagate drive fail about six months ago and all I had to do was go on their website and provide the serial number and symptoms. They gave me a RMA number, I sent off the drive and in a week or so I had my replacement.
I call it a bullshit Fox News talking point. Even if it were true, what evidence is there that these government 'death panels' would be any worse than the insurance company death panels that already exist?
Slashdot Mirror
(after checking the article title to make sure we're talking about "PC Games", not "PC Video Games")
Tom Disch's "Amnesia" was an amazing text-based game. You wake up, broke and stark naked, in a NYC hotel room. The rest of the game involves getting clothed and fed, avoiding the police (you're wanted for a murder you're pretty certain you didn't commit), and recovering the secret of your past. There were several possible outcomes. One involved Ol' Sparky (after you get extradited to Texas to stand trial for that murder). In another, you escape to a ranch in Australia and spend the rest of your life there, without ever solving the riddle of your past. I never did "win" the game, but I chewed up a lot of hours trying.
One of the more interesting aspects was that it wasn't "turn-based" -- if you didn't do anything, time would pass just the same.
A couple of generations ago, people were saying the same thing about movies filmed in color.
I bought some real estate last year. I had to bring $16,000 to the closing. I had two options: have my (out of state) bank snail-mail me a 'bank check' or have them wire transfer the money to a local bank where my co-purchaser has an account. The fee to have a check drafted, printed and mailed to me was about $5. The fee to have the money wired to a local bank was three times that. Wire transfer may be easy and fast, but it's not cheap, not yet anyway.
I was about to suggest "Outland" as another "James Bond in space" movie -- hey, it even has Sean Connery! Then I remembered that it was actually more like "High Noon in space."
Not only that, but it's possible to watch TV while doing something else -- cleaning, say, or even running on a treadmill*. When you're on the computer, you're tethered to the keyboard and your butt doesn't leave the chair, sometimes for hours at a stretch. When I was a gamer, I gained 15 lbs. I thank EA for ruining Dark Age of Camelot so thoroughly that I was able to give it up without any regrets.
*Who was the wit who said "An MMORPG is a treadmill that makes you fatter"?
Wait, what? The way I read that post, it says that "99% of Apache web sites are hosted on dedicated servers." It doesn't say anything about them being Windows.
Like Bill Gates?
Not to worry; it was a really lame joke to begin with.
Reminds me of the old joke: "What's the most common first name of high-school science teachers in the [American] South?"
"Coach."
Okay then, you are insane. Glad we could clear that up.
Note to self: LOOK AT THE DAMNED PREVIEW SCREEN.
Edited to improve readability:
> the government should be in the business of national defense a small police force to enforce the most basic of laws against theft, rape, murder, and other such crimes.
So in such a world, you would have no problem with me buying property right next to your home and putting a trash dump, an animal stockyard, or a nuclear reactor there? Yup, that's a real paradise.
> the government should be in the business of national defense a small police force to enforce the most basic of laws against theft, rape, murder, and other such crimes. So in such a world, you would have no problem with me buying property right next to your home and putting a trash dump, an animal stockyard, or a nuclear reactor there? Yup, that's a real paradise.
That reminds me of the account of the Indiana state legislature attempting to pass a law that would make pi = 3.
Interesting. I had a 200GB Seagate drive fail about six months ago and all I had to do was go on their website and provide the serial number and symptoms. They gave me a RMA number, I sent off the drive and in a week or so I had my replacement.
Go with a given name of "Balzo" and you don't need to reverse the order.
I'm glad you warned me. I was really lusting for an iPod Touch; I didn't know about that glaring deficiency.
I call it a bullshit Fox News talking point. Even if it were true, what evidence is there that these government 'death panels' would be any worse than the insurance company death panels that already exist?
Tomato, tomahto.
Damn, I wish I hadn't posted in this thread before reading this. +1 Insightful!
So if you want to stay young, stay liberal? Works for me.
They were (and are) either very rich or very stupid. Both provide physical 'tells'.
It's too soon to tell, really. At least this administration has yet to commit treason.
That's not true. At least a community college diploma can be a stepping stone to a real degree. A CompTIA certification is utterly useless.
I think irritation != entertainment.
> All spelling and grammar errors are intentional. Grammar Nazis' need entertainment.
Including the one in your sig?